Limit Switch for Rising Stem Gate Valves

ABSTRACT

A limit switch assembly, for a rising-stem valve having a stem with a diameter and a groove marking a desired stem position, includes an actuator arm having an inner end and an outer end. The inner end of the actuator arm forms a follower. A radius washer is mounted to the outer end of the actuator arm. An electrical switch has an operating lever and is mounted adjacent to the outer end of the actuating arm such that when the actuator arm is in an outward position the radius washer moves the operating lever, operating the electrical switch. When the actuator arm is in an inward position the radius washer does not move the operating lever and the electrical switch is not operated. A bias spring biases the actuating arm toward the inward position.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 15/686,401, entitled “Limit Switch for Rising Stem Gate Valves”, which was filed on Aug. 25, 2017. The aforementioned application is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention pertains to the field of valves. More particularly, the invention pertains to limit switches for rising-stem type valves.

Description of Related Art

Gate valves are often used in fire protection applications to close off water mains. Referring to FIG. 1, such valves have a valve body 4 with flanges on an inlet side 5 and outlet side 6. A gate 8 fits in a channel 7 inside the valve body 4. When the gate 8 is fully lowered into the channel 7 water flow from inlet 5 to outlet 6 is blocked. When the gate 8 is raised, water can flow freely through the body 4. The gate 8 is actuated by a stem 9, which has a threaded portion 10 near the upper end and a non-threaded portion 11 between the threaded portion 10 and the lower end which is coupled to the gate 8 by a swivel which allows the stem 9 to turn while the gate 8 is prevented from swiveling by the channel 7. The stem 9 extends upward through valve cover 2, which is mounted on the valve upper flange 3. A yoke 1 guides the stem 9 to the valve hand wheel 13, which is held on the end of the stem 9 by a hold down nut 14.

In rising-stem type valves, when the gate 8 is raised or lowered, the entire stem 9 moves upward or downward through the yoke 1 as the threaded part 10 of the stem 9 threads through the yoke nut 12 on the top of the yoke 1.

In some systems it is necessary to be able to determine remotely if the valve is open or closed. For example, in a fire-protection sprinkler system, it is important that all of the mains valves be open so that the sprinklers can protect the sprinkled area, and it is desirable that a fire alarm system which monitors flow in the sprinkler system to detect actuation should also be able to warn if the sprinklers were shut off by manual operation of the valves.

On a ball valve system, it is relatively easy to tell if the valve is on or off, since the valve actuator lever will either be in the open position (usually parallel with the pipe) or the closed position (usually perpendicular to the pipe). A switch can be mounted to close when the lever is in the open position, to signal the readiness of the valve to a remote system.

In a gate valve, the hand wheel 13 must be turned many times to fully raise or lower the gate 8, and there is no one “on” or “off” position of the wheel 13. In the prior art, installers have mounted an after-market supervisory or limit switch, such as the OSYSU series supervisory switches made by Potter Electric Signal Company in St. Louis, Mo. to the yoke 1, to provide the monitoring switch signal for the monitoring system. The switch is mounted with a clamp or U-bolts or the like to the open side of the yoke 1 at a position chosen by the installer, with a trip rod from the switch riding on the side of the stem 9 of the valve. During installation, after mounting the switch, the valve is operated to the fully open position, and the installer marks the stem 9 where the trip rod hits the stem 9. The installer then removes the switch and manually files a groove in the stem 9 where he marked it. The switch is then re-mounted at the same spot as before, so that the trip rod drops into the filed groove and actuates the switch.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an embodiment of the invention, a limit switch assembly, for a rising-stem valve having a stem with a diameter and a groove marking a desired stem position, includes: an actuator arm having an inner end and an outer end, the inner end of the actuator arm forming a follower; a radius washer mounted to the outer end of the actuator arm; an electrical switch having an operating lever, mounted adjacent to the outer end of the actuating arm, such that when the actuator arm is in an outward position the radius washer moves the operating lever, operating the electrical switch, and when the actuator arm is in an inward position the radius washer does not move the operating lever and the electrical switch is not operated; and a bias spring, biasing the actuating arm toward the inward position.

In another embodiment, a rising-stem valve includes: a valve body; a gate fitting in a channel inside the valve body, such that when the gate is in a lowered position in the channel the gate blocks water flow through the valve body, and when the gate is in a raised position water can flow through the valve body; a stem with a diameter and a groove marking a desired stem position, the stem having a lower end coupled to the gate, an upper end having a threaded portion and a non-threaded portion between the threaded portion and the lower end; a yoke having a lower end mounted on the valve body, a top having an yoke nut through which the threaded end of the stem is threaded, and a plurality of sides, such that when the stem is rotated, the stem is raised or lowered by the yoke nut threaded with the threaded portion of the stem; and a limit switch assembly mounted to a side of the yoke. The limit switch includes: an actuator arm having an inner end and an outer end, the inner end of the actuator arm forming a follower; a radius washer mounted to the outer end of the actuator arm; an electrical switch having an operating lever, mounted adjacent to the outer end of the actuating arm, such that when the actuator arm is in an outward position the radius washer moves the operating lever, operating the electrical switch, and when the actuator arm is in an inward position the radius washer does not move the operating lever and the electrical switch is not operated; and a bias spring, biasing the actuating arm toward the inward position, such that the follower is biased into contact with the stem. The rising-stem valve also includes at least one locator groove formed around the non-threaded portion of the stem at a location selected such that when the gate is in a desired position, the follower of the limit switch, biased by the bias spring, drops into the groove, moving the actuator arm to an inward position at which the radius washer does not move the operating lever, such that the electrical switch is not operated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a gate valve.

FIG. 2 shows a cut-through view of the yoke for a gate valve with the stem in a lowered position and the limit switch disengaged with a groove around the stem.

FIG. 3 shows a cut-through view of the yoke for a gate valve with the stem in a raised position and the limit switch engaged in a groove around the stem.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of a first embodiment of the actuator arm of the limit switch.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a second embodiment of the actuator arm of the limit switch.

FIG. 6 shows a cut-through view of the yoke for a gate valve with the stem in a raised position and the limit switch engaged in a groove around the stem, in another embodiment of the limit switch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the parts of the valve which are conventional were discussed in the background section, above. The novel valve has a mounting platform 17 formed into the side of the yoke 1 for mounting the limit switch assembly 16. Alternatively, there could be a separate mounting plate which mounts the switch 16 to the yoke 1 with screws or the like. A hole 18 is bored through a side of the yoke 1, through which the actuator rod 22 and bracket 20 can extend inside the interior of the yoke 1.

FIG. 4 shows a view of a first embodiment of the actuator arm 22. On the outer end of the actuator arm 22, a radius washer 25 is held on by a nut 26 threaded onto the arm 22. A bracket 20 in this embodiment is U-shaped, with an outer leg 33, inner leg 34 mounted to the inner end of the actuator arm 22, and a base 35 between the inner leg 34 and outer leg 33. The inner leg 34 can be mounted in a permanent fashion by press-fit, or by welding or brazing, in which case hole 18 would need to be large enough to pass the bracket 20. Alternatively, the inner end of the actuator rod 22 could be threaded into a threaded hole in the inner leg 34 of bracket 20, in which case the hole 18 would only need to be large enough to pass the actuator rod 22, and the bracket 20 would be assembled onto the actuator rod 22 after the switch 16 is mounted on the yoke 1. A follower 21 is provided on the inside of the outer leg 33 of the U-shaped bracket 20. The base 35 is made larger than the diameter of the stem 9, at least large enough so that the stem 9 fits between the the inside arm 34 and the follower 21 on the inside of the outside arm 33. The length of the inside arm 34 and the outside arm 33 is at least one-half of the diameter of the stem 9, so that when the bracket 20 is around the stem 9, the follower 21 contacts the side of the stem 9 opposite the actuator arm 22.

FIG. 5 shows a view of a second embodiment of the actuator arm 22. This embodiment differs from the embodiment in that the actuator bracket 20 is a closed form, shown in FIG. 5 as a rectangle, although it could be round or some other shape. FIG. 5 also shows an embodiment in which the follower is in the form of a roller 42 mounted on an inside surface 43 of the bracket 20.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a cut-through view of the valve yoke 1, with the stem nut 12 at the top of the yoke 1. The threaded portion 10 of the stem 9 is threaded into the stem nut 12, so that turning the stem 9 causes the stem 9 to be moved up and down, raising and lowering the gate 8 within the valve. It will be understood that the threaded portion 10 and gate 8 are truncated in these figures for illustrative purposes.

A circumferential groove 15 is formed around the unthreaded portion 11 of the stem 9, at a location along the length of the stem 9 selected such that when the gate 8 is in the desired position (either open or closed or some other selected position), the groove 11 is aligned with the center of the hole 18. It will be understood that more than one groove 15 could be formed, to allow a valve to have more than one desired position—for example, both an “open” and a “closed” position.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the limit switch assembly 16 is shown mounted to the side of the yoke 1 on a mounting plate 29 fastened to the side of the yoke 1 by screws 30. The base plate 32 of the limit switch assembly 16 is mounted to the yoke 1 by means of a mounting boss or tube 31, held to the inside of the yoke 1 by a nut 23.

FIG. 3 shows a different arrangement for mounting the limit switch assembly 16, in which the mounting plate 29 is replaced by a plurality of feet 40, which are of differing sizes to accommodate the taper and circular shape of the yoke 2. In this arrangement, screws 46 can be provided to hold switch cover 45 on the base plate 32.

With the limit switch assembly 16 mounted on the yoke 1, whether to a mounting platform 17 as shown in FIG. 1, or using a mounting plate 29 as shown in FIG. 2, or with feet 40 as in FIG. 3, the actuator arm 22 passes through the center of the hole 18, with the bracket 20 around the stem 9. A bias spring 24 presses on the base plate 32 and the radius washer 25 to bias the actuator arm 22 outward from the yoke 1, pressing the follower 21 against the side of the stem 9. An electrical switch 27 is mounted inside the limit switch assembly 16 in a location such that the operating lever 28 of the electrical switch 27 is operated by the radius washer 25 when the actuating arm 22 is in an outward position, and is not operated by the radius washer 25 when the actuating arm 22 is in an inward position.

The electrical switch 27 can be, for example, a miniature switch (commonly called a “microswitch”) as made by Honeywell and many other manufacturers. The electrical switch 27 can be of any electrical kind required by the application, for example a single-pole-double throw (SPDT) type, which would have a normally-open (NO) terminal, a normally-closed (NC) terminal, and a common terminal, such that when the switch is operated the common terminal is connected to the NO terminal, and when the switch is not operated the common terminal is connected to the NC terminal. This would permit the limit switch to be used with systems which require either contact closure or contact opening at the desired position, although it will be understood that other contact arrangements can be used within the teachings of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows the valve with the gate 8 and stem 9 in a position other than the desired position. In this position, the follower 21 rides on the side of the unthreaded portion 11 of the stem 9 under the force of the bias spring 24. This holds the actuator arm 22 in an inward position, such that the radius washer 25 does not operate the operating lever 28 of the electrical switch 27. If an SPDT type of switch 27 were used, in this position there would be a closed circuit between the NC terminal of the electrical switch 27 and the common terminal, and an open circuit between the NO terminal and the common terminal.

When the stem 9 and gate 8 are moved to the desired position (shown in FIG. 3 as a raised, valve-opened position), the follower 21 on the bracket 20 of the actuator arm 22 is pulled by the force of the bias spring 24 to drop into the groove 15. This moves the actuator arm 22 to an outward position, in which the radius washer 25 contacts operating lever 28 to operate electrical switch 27. If an SPDT type of switch 27 were used, in this position there would be a closed circuit between the NO terminal of the electrical switch 27 and the common terminal, and an open circuit between the NC terminal and the common terminal.

FIG. 6 shows a cut-through view of the yoke for a gate valve with the stem in a raised position, and the limit switch engaged in a groove around the stem, corresponding to FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the actuator arm 61 of the limit switch is biased toward the stem 9 by bias spring 24, rather than away from the stem as shown in FIGS. 2-5. The follower 60 is formed by the end of the actuator arm 61, so that when the follower 60 drops into groove 15, the switch 27 is operated.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A limit switch assembly for a rising-stem valve having a stem with a diameter and a groove marking a desired stem position, comprising: an actuator arm having an inner end and an outer end, the inner end of the actuator arm forming a follower; a radius washer mounted to the outer end of the actuator arm; an electrical switch having an operating lever, mounted adjacent to the outer end of the actuating arm such that when the actuator arm is in an outward position the radius washer moves the operating lever, operating the electrical switch, and when the actuator arm is in an inward position the radius washer does not move the operating lever and the electrical switch is not operated; and a bias spring, biasing the actuating arm toward the inward position.
 2. The switch assembly of claim 1, in which the electrical switch is a single-pole double-throw switch.
 3. A rising-stem valve comprising: a valve body; a gate fitting in a channel inside the valve body, such that when the gate is in a lowered position in the channel, the gate blocks water flow through the valve body, and when the gate is in a raised position water can flow through the valve body; a stem with a diameter and a groove marking a desired stem position, the stem having a lower end coupled to the gate, an upper end having a threaded portion and a non-threaded portion between the threaded portion and the lower end; a yoke having a lower end mounted on the valve body, a top having an yoke nut through which the threaded end of the stem is threaded, and a plurality of sides, such that when the stem is rotated, the stem is raised or lowered by the yoke nut threaded with the threaded portion of the stem; a limit switch assembly mounted to a side of the yoke, the limit switch including: an actuator arm having an inner end and an outer end, the inner end of the actuator arm forming a follower; a radius washer mounted to the outer end of the actuator arm; an electrical switch having an operating lever, mounted adjacent to the outer end of the actuating arm, such that when the actuator arm is in an outward position the radius washer moves the operating lever, operating the electrical switch, and when the actuator arm is in an inward position the radius washer does not move the operating lever and the electrical switch is not operated; and a bias spring, biasing the actuating arm toward the inward position, such that the follower is biased into contact with the stem; and at least one locator groove formed around the non-threaded portion of the stem at a location selected such that when the gate is in a desired position, the follower of the limit switch, biased by the bias spring, drops into the groove, moving the actuator arm to an inward position at which the radius washer does not move the operating lever, such that the electrical switch is not operated.
 4. The valve of claim 3, in which the limit switch assembly is mounted on a platform formed into the side of the yoke.
 5. The valve of claim 3, in which the limit switch assembly further comprises a base plate having a plurality of feet for mounting the base plate on the yoke.
 6. The valve of claim 3, in which the electrical switch is a single-pole double-throw switch.
 7. The valve of claim 3, in which the desired position is a position in which the valve is open. 